euro adhoc: AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG / Financial Figures/Balance Sheet / AGRANA - Fruit segment becomes leading source of revenues and earnings for the first time in 2006|07 financial year (E)

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21.05.2007

The AGRANA group forged ahead with its dynamic growth strategy during the
2006|07 financial year (March 1 to February 28) with further improvements in
revenues and results. Revenues increased by 28% to EUR 1,915.8 million (prior
year: EUR 1,499.6 million), while operating profit rose by 8% to EUR 107.0
million (after EUR 99.5 million in 2005|06). The increase in revenues was
accounted for by a combination of strong organic growth in the Starch and Fruit
segments, the adjustment of the financial year of the Fruit subsidiaries through
the inclusion of two additional months to coincide with that of the parent
company, and by consolidation effects.
For the first time in the group´s history, the Fruit segment represented the
leading source of sales, with 48% of total revenues, exceeding both the Sugar
and Starch segments, with 41% and 11% respectively. Fruit operations were also
the top performer in terms of operating profit (with 42%) ahead of the Sugar
(31%) and Starch segments (27%).
As in the previous year, the Management Board and Supervisory Board will be
recommending a dividend payment of EUR 1.95 per share at the Annual
Shareholders´ Meeting on July 5, 2007.

(EURm) 2006|07 2005|06 +/-
Revenues 1,915.8 1,499.6 + 28%
Operating profit 107.0 99.5 + 8%
Exceptional items|
restructuring charges (1.2) (24.5)
Operating profit after
exceptional items 105.8 75.0 + 41%
Profit before tax 93.5 71.7 + 30%
Profit for the period 71.1 64.7 + 10%
- attributable to shareholders of
AGRANA Beteiligungs AG 68.9 62.7
- minority interests 2.2 2.0
Earnings per share (in EUR) 4.85 4.42 + 10%
Investment in property,
plant & equipment 157.4 91.2 + 73%
Staff 8,223 8,130 + 1%

The following is a breakdown of revenues by segment:
Revenues in EURm 2006|07 2005|06 +/-
Sugar segment 804.6 770.4 + 4%
Starch segment 253.4 232.5 + 9%
Fruit segment 914.6 541.2 + 69%
Inter-segment revenues (56.8) (44.5)
Consolidated group revenues 1,915.8 1,499.6 + 28%

Results of 2006|07 financial year
In spite of the combined burdens of the EU sugar market reform and increases in
energy and raw material costs the operating profit rose by 8% to EUR 107.0
million (prior year: EUR 99.5 million). The construction of the AGRANA
bioethanol plant in Pischelsdorf, Austria, led to a balance of exceptional items
of minus EUR 1.2 million which, in turn, resulted in an operating profit after
exceptional items of EUR 105.8 million (prior year: EUR 75.0 million). Operating
profits from the Fruit segment more than compensated for the drop in results
reported by the Sugar and Starch segments. Due to a combination of higher
interest-based expenses of EUR 7.0 million, largely associated with acquisitions
in the Fruit segment, and the absence of the at-equity result of the former Atys
group, the financial result fell by EUR 9.0 million to minus EUR 12.3 million
(prior year: minus EUR 3.3 million). In the first quarter of 2005|06, the former
Atys group was consolidated at equity as an associated company.

The result before tax climbed by 30% to EUR 93.5 million (prior year: EUR 71.7
million). After taxes at an average rate of 23.9% (prior year: 9.8%), the profit
for the period before minority interests increased by 10% to EUR 71.1 million
(prior year: EUR 64.7 million). Earnings per share consequently rose by nearly
10% to EUR 4.85 (from EUR 4.42).

Outlook
Overall, AGRANA expects revenues in the 2007|08 financial year to be just under
EUR 1.9 billion, or marginally below the level achieved in the 2006|07 period.
This will be accounted for by the shorter reporting period for the fruit segment
(12 instead of 14 months) and the lower volumes of sugar available for sale than
in the previous year. Additional organic growth in the Starch and Fruit segments
is not expected to fully offset these effects. In the 2008|09 financial year,
however, AGRANA is confident of crossing the two-billion-euro revenue threshold.

This press release and the 2006|07 annual report are available online in German
and English at www.agrana.com

Further inquiry note:
AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG
Doris Schober
Investor Relations/Corporate Communications
Tel.: +43-1-211 37-12084
e-mail:[email protected]

end of announcement euro adhoc 21.05.2007 07:20:00
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emitter: AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG
Donau-City-Straße 9
A-1220 Wien
phone: +43-1-21137-0
FAX: +43-1-21137-2045
mail: [email protected]
WWW: www.agrana.com
sector: Food
ISIN: AT0000603709
indexes: ATX Prime, WBI
stockmarkets: official market: Wiener Börse AG
language: English

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